by Jisha Rajesh
While studying for her undergraduate course in literature, Ayana won various literary competitions some of which were judged by the famous writer Mrs Shanaya Kumar. Shanaya was swept off her feet by Ayana’s outstanding creative skills and soon the two bonded as close friends irrespective of the immense age difference of 18 years. Ayana’s life suffered a steep curve when her father suddenly passed away one morning due to cardiac arrest while she was still an undergraduate student. Shanaya came forward for Ayana’s help and instantly took her under her wings. Her care and support aided a lot in healing and strengthening the bereaving girl. She even sponsored Ayana’s education and helped her in all the ways possible when Ayana decided to set up her literary agency. Their bond grew so strong over the years that it wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was Ayana’s only alive kin. She was, in fact, playing many roles in Ayana’s life – of a mentor, a best friend, a partner-in-crime and above all of a Godmother.
* *
Ayana looked hesitantly at the calendar placed on her office desk and it glared ferociously back at her. Then her gaze shifted to the manuscript she was working on. She had only two days left to edit and polish it to perfection. And in case she failed to do so, she would have to face the wrath of the foul mouthed and atrocious, celebrity writer Mr A.K. Singh, who was nick named by her staff as ‘AK-47’ due to his fiery temperament. There was no way that she could place the burden of blame upon him for the delay as he had submitted the manuscript for editing a couple of months ago as per Ayana’s instructions. Ayana had started working upon it as soon as it was submitted for her evaluation and the work was progressing as per schedule. But then her best friend Sampada’s big, fat wedding came in between her and her work. She had enjoyed the ‘once in a lifetime’ event in her friend’s life thoroughly and had absolutely forgotten about the beastly Singh and his manuscript, till she came back a few days ago and found it wrapped under a thick coat of dust on her table.
“I have no idea how,” she muttered to herself as her eyes slid through the colossal manuscript, “but I have to finish it by the scheduled time.”
The phone in her office cabin buzzed and she picked it up with shaking hands expecting Mr Singh on line. “Yes, Sandra?”
“Shanaya ma’am is here to see you,” her vivacious receptionist Sandra promptly replied.
“In a minute,” Ayana hurriedly put the phone down and jumped to her feet as a brilliant smile lit face and her burdened soul.
* *
Shanaya Kumar had comfortably settled her tall and sturdy frame on the sofa at the reception of Ayana’s office. Her demeanor and appearance had a majestic grace that demanded being worshipped. There was nothing extravagant in her attire, the accessories or the cosmetics she was wearing, but still they succeeded in portraying her as a sophisticated urban woman. Even though she was not stunningly beautiful, she was ahead-turner even after braving the vandalizing effects of advancing age. She was also one of those lucky souls who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Shanaya was the only child of an affluent businessman, Prakash Vohra. But she had never pursued the family-owned business in order to follow her passion for writing. She went ahead, despite a little objection from her family, and published a few fairy-tale romances. Soon, the whole world started acclaiming her talent and her books began topping the bestseller charts, even while she was in her early twenties. She was busy relishing her success when a man by the name of Sujan Kumar, walked into her life and made her fall for the charms of his amiable nature, quick wit and a heart of gold. The ebony- hued young man had recently taken charge as one of the CEOs in her father’s company. Her father considered him an asset for his company owing to his sharp brain and fiery passion for his work, which made the company progress by leaps and bounds just within a couple of years. He soon developed a soft corner for the young man as did his daughter. He readily stamped his approval on his daughter’s wish to marry Sujan. Life was always a bed of roses for Shanaya except for a single thorn that pierced through her and rendered her heart broken. The only gloom Shanaya had been carrying in her heart for all these years was that she could never conceive. Sujan’s love for her remained undeterred in spite of the fact and he even loved her more to compensate for the void in their life. After bonding with Ayana, she found a way to fulfill her long cherished dream of having a daughter.
“Sorry Ma’am, you had to wait.” Ayana’s words made Shanaya lift her eyes with a start from the magazine she was reading.
“That’s okay, Ana,” she said flashing an affectionate smile. Shanaya preferred to address her as ‘Ana’ - a nick name exclusively used by her.
“Please come in, Ma’am.” Ayana turned to the receptionist and said, “Sandra, please send two cups of coffee in.”
Shanaya placed the magazine back on the table as she got up and followed Ayana into her cabin.
“How was your holiday, Ma’am?”
“Fun, as always,” Shanaya smiled but her smile faded as soon as it had appeared. “I suffered from a minor accident, though.”
“What happened, Ma’am?” Ayana panicked. “I hope you are okay?”
“Of course.” Shanaya smiled again when she saw Ayana turn pallid. “I slipped down a deep trench during our trekking expedition. But luckily, I was able to hold on a tree and was perched upon it till I was rescued. Though it was a close call, I managed to escape with only some minor injuries. Accidents are becoming routine incidents in my life these days.”
“You ought to be a little more careful Ma’am.” Ayana could feel her heart racing as Shanaya narrated the horrid accident.
“Don’t worry, I will.” Shanaya smiled, a little emotional when she saw the wrinkles of concern that appeared on Ayana’s pretty face, token of her genuine love. “Anyway, let’s come straight to business. Here is the manuscript…”
“Excuse me, Ma’am,” Sandra came in carrying two coffee mugs placed on a tray, “your coffee is ready.”
“Thank you, dear,” Shanaya said as she hurriedly thrust the manuscript back into her bag.
Ayana’s dubious eyes scrutinized Shanaya’s clandestine act with a widely gaped mouth. Shanaya was sending the manuscripts of her novels to Ayana for editing since a few years now. She had absolute trust in Ayana as well as all her staff as most of them, including Sandra, were recruited on Shanaya’s recommendation. Anaya found Shanaya’s behavior weird but preferred to rein her curiosity in for the time being. Sandra placed the mugs on the table and turned to leave.
“I want you to start working on this manuscript ASAP,” Shanaya said after she turned around to ensure that the door of Ayana’s cabin was properly locked. “This is the manuscript of my latest novel and I wish to get it published as soon as possible.”
“Sure Ma’am.” Ayana’s eyes danced merrily as they fell upon the manuscript. It was a pleasure as well as a privilege to read the unedited version of the story written by her favorite author.
“I think one month will be more than enough.” Shanaya’s tone projected urgency.
“One month…err…” Ayana’s voice trailed off as she thought of Samapada’s wedding that dh messed up her entire work schedule for the month. What if something came just out of the blue this time too?! She kept staring at the manuscript as she was in a dilemma whether she should make a commitment or offer an explanation.
“Oh, yes!” Shanaya opened her bag again as she deduced the reason behind Anaya’s dilly dallying and pulled out a cheque. “This is for you.”
Ayana hated this part of the business very much. She never wanted to accept money from the lady who had already crushed her under a colossal debt of selfless love, care and gratitude. She had, several times over, proposed to edit her manuscript for free, but Shanaya wouldn’t listen to any of it. Ayana took the paycheck with a heavy heart as she knew for sure that her pleas were going to fall on a deaf ear. But as she set her eyes on the amount written on the check she was holding in her hands, she was bewildered to find it far more than what she usually charged Shan
aya.
“Ma’am, I think you have made some mistake,” Ayana said, her eyes still wide, “It’s much more than the amount I usually charge as an advance.”
“I know Ana,” Shanaya said as she zipped her bag to safety. “I am paying you the full amount as advance this time.”
“Why?” Ayana failed to understand the situation.
“I just…” Shanaya threw her hands up in the air and tried her best to hide her contorted face, “…don’t know. I just feel like doing this.”
Ayana’s keen eyes tried to read through the mask that her Godmother was wearing that day.
‘My words and actions are on the verge of giving me away.’ As her eyes met Ayana’s, Shanaya shuddered as the dreaded thought crossed her mind.
Shanaya again pasted a tender smile and took all the pains to make it look as genuine as she could, for she could see the thousand questions in Ayana’s mind.
“Don’t think too much Anaya. I think by now I trust you enough to do this,” Shanaya down played the whole thing and prayed with all her heart for it to work out. “Anyway, have you completed Mr Singh’s work?”
Shanaya found it best to divert Ayana’s attention and it worked as Ayana jumped screaming from her chair.
“Oh no, Ma’am!” She bit her nails nervously as her eyes fell on the manuscript that was glaring at her as fiercely as its creator would have if he ever came to know about the delay.
“I think you should hurry up, Ana.” Shanaya was obviously relieved as she realized that the topic had changed. “I met him at a party a few days ago and he seemed to be really excited about his upcoming release.”
“I will, Ma’am,” Ayana said shaking like a leaf, “I swear I will. I have to do it at any cost if I do wish to live to watch yet another sunrise tomorrow!”
Ayana’s wobbly words made Shanaya burst into peals of laughter and the whole cabin echoed with its tinkle.
* *
It was nearing midnight when Ayana reached home. She had worked till late to complete the work on Mr Singh’s manuscript and had somehow managed put it up in a presentable form. She still had to do some final checks on it. As she turned the key into her door, she made a mental note to call Mr Singh in the morning and make some ‘reliable’ excuse to borrow time till the evening. As she ushered herself into the silence of her flat, the only thought that crossed her mind was to crash on the bed. She was so drained that she couldn’t even carry herself to the bed and thumped on the sofa as soon as she stepped inside the flat. She closed her eyes as sleep sunk her deep into the soft cushions on the sofa. She was jolted as the clock hung in the hall chimed twelve loud bells. She sighed as she lifted herself up from the sofa and plodded towards her bedroom. She pulled a frilly negligee out from her cupboard, flung it on the bed and walked straight into her closet washroom. She had a hurried bath as she was in no mood to waste whatever little time she had in hand for her dear sleep. She wrapped herself in a robe and walked back to her bed. Her negligee was lying on the bed but she was so exhausted, that she threw it down and curled into the warm comfort of her blanket just wearing the robe.
She woke up startled again after a small interlude. This time it was owing to two short beeps from her mobile phone that resounded in the stillness of the night with much more intensity.
“I am not supposed to get to sleep tonight,” she muttered to herself as the sudden stimulus lashed the sleep out of her eyes.
Her first reaction was to turn to her side and drift back to sleep. But then curiosity overpowered her and her mind unknowingly started guessing who the sender could be.
‘What if it was Mr Singh?’ Her eyes popped wide open as the deadly probability came to her mind.
She had put her mobile on silent since evening that day so that she could work peacefully on his manuscript.
‘What if he has been trying to call her all the time to know about the progress of her work?” Ayana nervously bit her nails and lifted her head out of her warm quilt.
She stepped down hesitantly from the bed and reached out for the phone placed on the table with shaking hands. The readout on her phone read, 1 message received, which seemed to her as if it were some kind of red alert. She crossed her fingers and tightly closed her eyes as she clicked the message open. She half opened one of her eyes to bear the reprimand from the choleric writer but was relived the next second as the text was from Shanaya Ma’am!
She let out a deep sigh and perched upon the bed with an ear-to-ear grin to read it. But her relief was not destined to last long. Her tranquility was invaded by turbulent waves of trepidation as she read the message.
“Get my novel published in case I cannot.”
Ayana’s heart rocketed even as she re-read the message several times.
‘What does she mean by ‘in case’?
Ayana re-winded her meeting with Shanaya earlier that day. She appeared a bit shaky. Her behavior was a little bizarre too.
‘Why has she paid me in full this time?’ The nagging thought possessed her mind again. ‘And why was she trying to hide the manuscript from Sandra in spite of having absolute trust on my staff?’
It was cold outside and Anaya was clad only in a feathery robe. She shivered, partly because of the cold outside and partly because of the turbulence churning within her. She slipped into the blankets and the warm comfort made her drift back to sleep.
‘Why is she making all her moves so cautiously? What was so sensitive about the manuscript?’ were her last thoughts before sleep crushed her under its weight.
Chapter – 2. The Cocky Cop
The bright rays of the sun pierced through her eyes as Ayana raised her eyelids slowly. She turned to her side and glanced at the clock placed on the table by the side of her bed.
‘9 o’clock!’
It screamed making Ayana’s eyes pop wide open for a moment, before they drooped down and she pulled over her blankets to return to the cozy comfort of her warm bed. Her brain instructed her that it was high time to get out of the bed but she was too exhausted to follow the instruction. She had nearly drifted to sleep again when her phone buzzed. She woke up with a start and grabbed her phone lying on the table. She rolled over and looked at the screen of her phone that was flashing an nknown number .
“Hello?” she said quizzically into her phone.
“May I speak with Ms Ayana Sharma?” a melodious young baritone replied.
“Yes, speaking.” The beauty of the voice made her even more eager to know who the caller was.
“ACP Varun Patel here.” The voice was as impassive as it was melodious earlier. “Can you meet me at my office by 11o’clock?”
“Well officer,” Ayana shifted the phone to the other ear as she hesitantly put forth her doubt, “May I know why I am being summoned?”
“Mrs Shanaya Kumar had sent you a message last night.” Varun’s tone kept alternating between confident and arrogant, “Am I right Ms Sharma?”
“Yes, Officer,” Ayana was even more puzzled. “Is that some kind of an offence?”
“Of course not, Ms Sharma,” Varun snorted, “but as I am the Officer-in-charge of the Shanaya Kumar suicide case, it’s my duty to interrogate the person whom Mrs Kumar contacted moments before her death.”
“What…?!”
Ayana’s limbs turned cold and the phone fell down from her hand.
“Ms Sharma?” Varun’s voice sounded from the phone that was lying unattended on the floor, “Are you there?”
Ayana started shivering and instantly cuddled into a ball on her bed as she tried to assimilate the horrid news that the cocky police officer had just broken to her.
‘My Godmother was no more!’
The words echoed in her mind as a silent tear made its way down her cheeks. Like all others whom she loved so dearly, Shanaya Ma’am had also ditched her and left her alone to perish in the hell that was this mean world. But then a word from her conversation with Varun rang in her ears like an alarm and she jumped up at once from the bed.
>
‘Suicide!’
“No,” she muttered to herself, “the Shanaya Kumar whom I have known is not a coward who would give up so easily and end her life just like that. She is a fighter and will fight back against the ordeals of life till her last breath.”
But then her thoughts carried her back to the meeting with Mrs Kumar yesterday at her office. She paid Ayana in full instead of the usual 25% that Ayana charged as an advance. And then the message, her last message which said, “Get my book published in case I cannot.”
“Oh my God!” Ayana’s beautiful face turned deadly pale as she placed her torpid hands on her face in utter bewilderment. “Was it all a part of her plan? Had she already made plans to end her life?”
Ayana’s soul was not ready to accept that her guardian angel was no more though her mind knew it was true. She rushed to the sitting room as soon as she came to her senses and seized the remote before jumping on the sofa. She switched the television on and impatiently kept changing the channels. But all of them flashed the same news.
Bestselling author Shanaya Kumar found hanging in her bedroom.
* *
By the time Ayana reached Shanaya’s bungalow, it was already flooded with her family members and friends. Ayana spotted a teary eyed Sandra among them and silently made her way towards her. Ayana took off her sunglasses revealing a ghastly pale face and bloodshot eyes that made Sandra’s lips part in a horrible gasp.
“Why…?” Ayana was able to utter only a monosyllable as a lump built up in her throat and she struggled to gulp it down.
“Nobody knows,” Sandra said as a tiny film of tears coated her eyes. “Her maid found her body hanging by the ceiling fan when she came to work this morning. The police officers are questioning her upstairs. She was so full of life…I can’t believe that she…!”